In a thermal processing apparatus (1), an upper opening (60) is closed by a transparent plate (61) and a light emitting part (5) emits light through the upper opening (60). Also provided are a susceptor (72) for supporting a substrate (9), a hot plate (71) for heating the susceptor (72) and a cover member (21) between the transparent plate (61) and the susceptor (72). The susceptor (72) has a recessed portion whose depth is larger than the thickness of the substrate (9), a lower surface of the substrate (9) is supported by a bottom surface of the recessed portion, and a periphery of the substrate (9) is surrounded by the side wall portion of the recessed portion. During processing of the substrate (9), the cover member (21) is moved down and brought into contact with an upper end of the side wall portion to close the recessed portion. Thus the periphery of the substrate (9) is blocked, so that even if the substrate (9) is broken during processing, the pieces of the substrate are prevented from being scattered.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A thermal processing apparatus for performing a processing accompanied with heating on a substrate, comprising: a chamber body forming a space in which a substrate is processed; a substrate supporting part for supporting a lower surface of a substrate by a bottom surface of a recessed portion whose depth is larger than a thickness of said substrate and surrounding a periphery of said substrate by a side wall portion of said recessed portion inside said chamber body; a heating part for heating said substrate supporting part; a substantially plate-like cover member disposed above said substrate supporting part: a closing mechanism for closing said recessed portion by bringing said cover member into contact with an upper end of said side wall portion, said cover member being relatively movable onto said side wall portion while said substrate is preheated by said substrate supporting part; and a flash lamp disposed and operable for heating said substrate by emitting a flash light to said substrate through said cover member, said recessed portion being closed by said cover member.
2. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein thermal conductivity of said substrate supporting part is lower than that of a substrate.
3. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover supporting part for supporting said cover member, wherein said closing mechanism relatively moves said substrate supporting part and said cover member and said cover member is thereby moved from said cover supporting part onto said side wall portion.
4. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a window member for closing an opening provided in said chamber body for introducing light, wherein said flash lamp is disposed for emitting said flash light from the outside of said opening into said chamber body through said window member.
5. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said flash lamp is disposed for emitting said flash light from the outside of an opening provided in said chamber body into said chamber body, said cover member is a member for closing said opening said closing mechanism moves up said substrate supporting part to bring said side wall portion into contact with a lower surface of said cover members.
6. A thermal processing method for performing a processing accompanied with heating on a substrate, comprising the steps of: loading a substrate into a chamber body; supporting said substrate by a heated substrate supporting part inside said chamber body, said substrate supporting part supporting a lower surface of said substrate by a bottom surface of a recessed portion whose depth is larger than the thickness of said substrate and surrounding a periphery of said substrate by a side wall portion of said recessed portion, said substrate being preheated by said substrate supporting part; closing said recessed portion by bringing a substantially plate-like cover member disposed above said substrate supporting part into contact with an upper end of said side wall portion while said substrate is preheated; heating said substrate by emitting a flash light to said substrate through said cover member after closing said recessed portion by said cover member; opening said recessed portion; and unloading said substrate from said chamber body.
7. The thermal processing method according to claim 6 , wherein thermal conductivity of said substrate supporting part is lower than that of a substrate.
8. The thermal processing method according to claim 6 , wherein said substrate supporting part and said cover member are moved relatively to each other and said cover member is moved from a cover supporting part for supporting said cover member onto said side wall portion in said step of closing said recessed portion.
9. The thermal processing method according to claim 6 , wherein said flash light is emitted from the outside of an opening provided in said chamber body for introducing light into said chamber body through a window member for closing said opening in said step of heating said substrate.
10. The thermal processing method according to claim 6 , wherein said cover member is a member for closing an opening provided in said chamber body said substrate supporting part is moved up to bring said side wall portion into contact with a lower surface of said cover member in said step of closing said recessed portion, and said flash light is emitted from the outside of said opening into said chamber body in said step of heating said substrate.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 10, 2004
May 9, 2006
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